Improvement in safety-buoys



J. E. JOUETT,& W. B. HOFF.

Safety-Buoy.

Patented July 9, I878.

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flu/620502 N. PEYERS, FHOTOMTHGGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, n C.

UETTED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

JAMES E. J OUETT AND WVILLIAM BAINBRIDGE HOFF, OF YVASHINGTON, D. G.

IMPROVEMENT IN SAFETYI-BUOYS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 205,751, dated July 9,1878; application filed June 14, 1878.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that we, JAMES EDWARD JoU- ETT and WILLIAM BAINBRIDGE HOFF,of the city of Washington, in the District of (Johnnbia, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Life-Saving Apparatus, said device to beknown as a Safety-Buoy, of which the following is a specification:

The invention relates to using the force of the wind and waves toconnect two points in the sea by a line, and is applicable to therunning of a line from awreck to the shore, or to picking up a man or avessel at sea by another vessel.

In the majority of cases vessels run aground on a lee shore, and arewrecked by the action of the wind and sea upon them when in thisposition. hen vessels ground on a weather shore there can be but littlesea, and the wind is favorable for their getting off. The position ofdanger, then, is grounding on a lee shore. A floating object, underthese circumstances, will be quickly washed on shore by the action ofthe wind and surf which is setting in that direction. Upon stranding, inorder to save life and property, it is of the first importance for thevessel to establish a communication between herself and the shore byline.

The greater portion of the coast-line of the world is not supplied witha life-saving service. lVhere there is no such service the line mustcome from the ship. As no device well known to seamen is supplied tovessels to carry out this object, any success in this direction must belooked upon as a happy accident per mitted by circumstances.

\Vhere there is a life-saving service a communication is establishedgenerally by throw ing a shot carrying a line from a mortar on shore tothe stranded vessel. There are the following objections, among others,to be urged against this method: First, the small object that the vesselpresents as a target for the aim of the mortar; second, the small amountof line that can be carried out; third, the difficulty of carrying themortar from place to place; fourth, the shortening of the trajectorywhen the line is thrown to windward, or the disturbing of the trajectoryby the lee sag of the line.

Offman y places-for instance, ofl'Hatterasthere are outlying shoals.Avessel grounding on the weather side of these would be entirely withoutthe reach of a mortar-shot. Any floating object thrown from the wreck,however, would be quickly washed across the shoal.

The stranding of a vessel in a blow is sueceeded immediately by a sceneof greater or less demoralization. Any device to serve at this time forgetting a line ashore from the wreck must be entirely ready, require nosembling of material, and be simple in its action; Its highest featureof merit would be to have it equally powerful in the hands of the mostignorant passenger or in those of the most skilled sailor.

A summary of the foregoing remarks would show, first, that the lee shoreis the position of danger; second, that when a vessel grounds on a leeshore, there are two forces setting constantly on shore-the Wind and thesurf; third, that any floating object would quickly be driven on shoreby these forces; fourth, that a line communication is a primarynecessity; that there are so many objections to mortar-firing that theline should come from the ship to the shore, and not vice versa; fifth,that simplicity and constant readiness are an essential in any devicelooking to connect a ship by line with the land.

The object of our invention is to furnish a means to carry this linefrom the vessel to the shore, and which shall have the feature of anchoring itself on the strand, to prevent it from being washed to seawardagain.

The invention consists in a floating body or buoy so equipped andarranged as to be best acted upon by the sea and wind, and which shallby these means make progress through the water, carrying with it a linewhich shall be given or paid off from the buoy, so as to in no wiseinterfere with or hinder or prevent the progress of said buoy throughthe water. Furthermore, that this buoy shall be so equipped as to anchoritself on the beach.

In the accompanying drawing, in which similar letters of referenceindicate like parts, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of thesafetybuoy. The water-tight tanks 0 and D are connected rigidly togetherby the stays E E E E,

and contain between them the reel or other device for holding and givingoff the line. This affair is equipped and governed for taking advantageof the propelling power of the wind and sea by the large shield or headF. This shield or head is shaped and strengthened, so as to readilycatch in the strand and anchor the concern. The line is given offthrough a water-tight sleeve, G, in the water-tight compartment C, soas, with the shield or head, to keep the safety-buoy pointed fair forthe shore and prevent fouling.

Fig. 2 is a view of the shield or head. Fig. 3 is a section through thereel. Fig. 4 is a section through M. Fig. 5 is a section through N. Fig.6 shows the crank for winding on the line; Fig. 7, a view of the buoy inthe surf c coming ashore, b anchoring itself on the beach.

The operation of the device is as follows: The safety-buoy, being at alltimes ready on deck, is merely thrown over the lee side, the end of theline being retained aboard-ship. The action of the wind and sea willdrive it toward the beach. The line is given ofl' from the buoy, so thatany fouling between the ship and buoy will not impede the buoysprogress. On reaching the beach the buoy sinks its shield in the sand orcatches it in the rocks.

In picking up a man overboard, the buoy lies dead in the water near theman, who can lay hold of it. The line connects the buoy with the ship,the end, of course, being in all cases retained on board. The man can behauled into the ship when circumstances would prevent the lowering of aboat.

We claim- 1. Alife-buoy provided with the fore and aft air-compartmentsG and D and the intermediate open compartment, the latter being providedwith the reel for carrying a line, by which construction the line isautomatically unreeled as the buoy drifts, substantially as described.

2. A life-buoy provided with a head or shield constructed substantiallyas described, so as to be adapted to readily catch in the strand andanchor the buoy, substantially as shown.

3. A life-buoy constructed substantially as described, the afterair-compartment of which is provided with a water-tight sleeve, throughwhich the line passes from the reel, substantially as shown.

JAMES EDXVARD JOUETT. \VM. BAINBRIDGE HOFF. Vitnesses:

DAVID D. PORTER, J. M. ALDEN.

